Material handling equipment helps businesses move products, parts and supplies efficiently throughout manufacturing, distribution, consumption or disposal. This equipment can include anything from conveyor systems, to storage racks, warehouse automation technologies or even robots. These tools improve workflow by reducing downtime and increasing productivity. They can also reduce the need for employees to carry heavy and bulky items, which can result in musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, they can reduce costs by allowing organizations to increase capacity without relying on additional front-line workers.
The most common type of material handling equipment is a conveyor system, which moves items from one point to another. Whether they’re packaged or unpackaged, they’re loaded onto the conveyor and transported to the appropriate destination. This can speed up production times and decrease the need for employees to manually transport goods, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Another type of material handling equipment is positioning machinery, which can help orient or load/unload materials so they’re in the correct position for subsequent handling, machining, transport or storage. This can help boost employee productivity when it comes to frequent handling of heavy or awkwardly shaped items, limit damage and wear to the item being handled and its surroundings, improve product quality and minimize waste.
Some examples of this type of equipment are a tugger cart, which can be towed by a forklift or used in a tugger train cart, and an electric tug, which can be moved around the shop floor by an operator. This type of equipment can be more efficient than larger pieces of machinery, such as a crane or forklift.
Other types of material handling equipment are silos, hoppers and drums, which can hold loose materials. These are useful for storing and transporting foods, beverages, liquids or metal items like screws and nails. They can also be a more effective way to store bulky items than shelves or bins. They can also be more economical than individual containers because they’re often cheaper to buy or lease and require less space than other storage methods.
A silo is a tower-like container that holds loose materials such as grains, woodchips or coal. They can be found in agricultural facilities, mining operations and manufacturing plants. They’re often designed with a wide opening, a lid or a funnel-like top, and can be sealed shut to prevent contaminants from entering the material inside.
Warehouse material handling equipment is essential for improving the efficiency and productivity of a facility. It can reduce wasted time spent searching for misplaced goods, which is a common issue in warehouses. It can also help companies avoid losing inventory due to theft or damage.
Some of the most popular warehouse material handling equipment includes: